


Back to the Wilderness

by james_pwyll



Category: Hilda (Cartoon)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-04-27
Packaged: 2021-03-02 02:42:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,072
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23877865
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/james_pwyll/pseuds/james_pwyll
Summary: With Hilda's friends having shown her much of what the city of Trolberg has to offer, she decides it's high time to return the favor. So, with Frida and David alongside her, Hilda returns once more to her original home.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 60





	Back to the Wilderness

Though it had not been too long since Hilda last laid eyes on this place, she couldn't help but smile to it. True, the sight of her old house, still smashed from being stepped on by giants, was a bit of an odd thing to be happy to see, but she was happy all the same. So many memories came to her as she looked around this place. The hills and mountains in the distance, the numerous elf houses that dotted the immediate area, the packs of Woffs gliding peacefully in the skies above. The wilderness might not be her home anymore, but her heart still beat fiercely for it. Doubly so since it wasn't just her and her mother here to see it, for as she turned her smile grew as she looked upon her friends, Frida and David, who were busy setting up their tent for the night. After casting one final look to her former dwelling, the young girl merrily ran to her friends. "I'm glad you could both come here."

Frida smiled back to her. "And we're happy about it too. After our last camping trip, I suppose we were all due a...I guess 'nicer one' would be the right term?"

"Well, we're not constantly worried about being eaten by giant dogs this time, so yeah, it's nicer," David added.

The children all laughed together, and it was here when Hilda looked past them both, to the car that was parked close by. In the drivers' seat was her mother, who promptly waved to her daughter. Hilda waved back, then got to her knees as she took a peg from Frida. "We'll need to secure this tent nice and tightly. The winds out here can get pretty strong." Fond memories returned to her. "I remember one night they were so loud that Mum and I couldn't get to sleep."

Naturally, David looked to her with obvious worry. "You don't think they're strong enough to blow us away, do you? It's just...I've heard stories about terrible storms out here, and winds so strong they carry you off forever."

The two girls giggled, with Frida giving him a reassuring pat on the shoulder. "I wouldn't worry too much about it. Thanks to our Sparrow Scout training, no wind on Earth could blow this tent away," she declared confidently as she hammered the final peg into the ground. Taking a step back, she and the other children looked on with pride at their tent, and moments later Frida looked past that, to the ruins of Hilda's old house. "So...nobody came along to fix that?"

Hilda too looked to the ruins she'd once lived in. "Nobody else ever came out here. It was just me and my family. Honestly, I don't even know if other people even knew we were living here at all."

David nervously poked the ends of his fingers together. "Didn't that ever bother you? No people, no other kids?"

Hilda shrugged. "It was my life. Me, my Mum, Twig, and all the wonderful creatures of the wilderness." And just like that, the deer-fox in question suddenly arrived, having apparently still been with Hilda's mother until the latter opened the door of the car. Hilda smiled happily to her lifelong friend, getting down to one knee with arms outstretched. Twig started enthusiastically licking Hilda's face, prompting a giggle from the girl. "Okay, Twig, I know. I love you too."

Even David seemed to be momentarily drawn out of his earlier worry at a sight as adorable as that, but his prior expression returned when he again regarded Hilda's old home. "So...what exactly happened to your house?"

Hilda glanced over to the wreck, then up to the sky. "A pair of giants stepped on it, right before they jumped up high enough to go into space."

David blinked a couple of times at her. "You say that like...like it's the most normal thing in the world."

Hilda chuckled as she looked back to him. "Oh no, even out here it was strange, especially with giants that size." A sad look came to her. "I know I should feel relieved that they're not here to smash houses anymore, but...the world will never see giants like that again. It's like...like something special from the world is gone."

Frida and David looked to each other, then to Hilda, before Frida stepped over to her. "If it makes you feel any better, they're probably very happy right now. And hey, if they met up with other giants out there then they're still around, just...not anywhere where we can see them."

Hilda perked up, if only slightly. "Good point. Maybe they're all just talking about all the stuff that happened since they last met. I imagine Jorgen has quite a few stories to tell them."

Frida placed her hands upon her hips, giving a firm nod. "That's the spirit! Now come on, it'll be getting dark soon and we want to be ready for it." She turned, looking over to David. "Do we have the marshmallows?"

David, getting down to his knees, took off his backpack and started rummaging around in it. "Um...yep!"

"Flashlight in case we need to go out for some reason?"

"Another quick rummage, then David nodded again. "Yep, got that too!"

"Compass, map and walkie-talkies?"

"Yes, yes aaaaaaaand...yes!" David confirmed. He stood up again, looking more confident than usual. "We're all set for the trip!"

Frida clapped her hands together. "Wonderful!" Then she paused, scratching the side of her head. "Although...we do technically stand in uncharted territory, so the map probably doesn't cover this place."

David, suddenly worried again, got out the map, looking it over briefly before looking back up to Frida. "Oh no! It doesn't! What do we do if we get lost?"

But Hilda waved them off. "Don't worry. I lived here for years before I ever saw Trolberg. I know this place like the back of my hand. Anywhere you want to know about, just ask me."

David knew Hilda long enough to know that she meant things like that when she said them, so for the time being he relaxed, if only a little. Moving back over to the girls, the boy glanced around the place, specifically to all the little elf houses that surrounded Hilda's old home. "So when will Alfur be back?"

Hilda glanced over her shoulder to the aforementioned houses. "Hard to say. This is his first time back since he left, and he's been writing a lot of reports on Trolberg. I imagine we won't be seeing him anytime soon." She giggled. "He might even be gone until it's time for us to go home again." As before, the children laughed, but it was short-lived as Hilda looked over to see her mother finally get out of her car, causing the girl to start walking over to her. "Everything okay, Mum?"

Johanna smiled down to her daughter. "Oh yes. Just a few phone calls I needed to make. Now..." She started looking slightly worried, though admittedly not to the same degree David would get. "Are you absolutely sure you'll be fine here? I can stay with you if you like."

But Hilda shook her head. "Thanks for the offer, but we'll be fine."

Johanna sighed, then smiled again. "Alright, if you say so." Looking to the other children, she gave a wave. "Have fun, you two. And don't let my daughter put you in too much danger if you can help it."

Frida rolled her eyes. "Sorry, Miss, but that tends to happen whether we try or not."

Another sigh from Johanna, though one where she kept her smile all the same. "Yes, she does do that." Reaching over, she gave Hilda a quick pat on her head, then headed back off to her car, looking back before getting in. "I'll see you all in the morning, okay? Be ready to go when I get here."

Hilda nodded, giving an enthusiastic wave as she watched her mother drive off. They all watched as the car went further and further away, until it was finally out of view entirely. Once alone, the three children glanced to one another quietly, until it was, naturally, Hilda who began to speak again. "So...mountain climbing? Cave exploration? Maybe we can just hop over the stones at the waterfall?"

Frida considered all of those things, then gestured to the small ring of stones she'd set up just outside their tent. "How about we start with the basics? We'll need some wood for the fire tonight. So we should probably head to the forest."

"No need, wood's here," another voice calmly said.

All eyes turned, surprised at the unexpected arrival of a new voice, and Frida and David took a stunned step back when they realised, to their shock, that it appeared to be a creature made entirely out of wood, though the general shape was human-ish. Its utterly alien face looked to them without expression as it walked over, carrying over the small pile of the wood it was talking about, and Hilda at least seemed happy to see this newcomer. "Wood Man!"

"I heard rumors you were coming back. Looks like they were right," Wood Man replied. As he set down the carried wood in the stone circle, he did not pay any heed to Frida or David, though whether this was due to disinterest or obliviousness none could say. Eventually however, he did finally turn towards them, his never-changing face giving away none of what he might have been thinking. "One human out here was a handful, I imagine three will lead to no end of trouble for us."

Frida, clearing her throat, stepped forward, her hand outstretched. "My name's Frida. And this is David." The boy beside her gave a nervous wave to this unexpected visitor, even though he was still somewhat fearful of him.

As for the Wood Man himself, he just turned to face Hilda again. "Have you been telling people that I'm interested in learning their names? Don't go setting up expectations like that, girl." With that, he turned away, heading down the same path he'd walked along to get there. "Enjoy the wood," he called back.

The children kept their eyes on him for a long time, with Frida eventually giving Hilda a quizzical look. "Well, he was...nice?"

Hilda shrugged. "Don't mind him. He was always...difficult to get."

David glanced around. "Are there others like him out there? In the woods? Do we need to worry about them?"

Hilda shook her head. "No. I only ever knew him out there. If there were any other Wood Men, or Wood Women, I never met them."

Frida smiled. "Unique...like you."

A blush came to Hilda's cheeks. "Oh, I don't know about that."

David gave a nod. "She's right you know. There's never been anyone else like you, Hilda. The way you act around magic and monsters and all this strange stuff...it's like you were born to be a part of it."

Hilda paused, thinking on those words. "Born to be a part of it? Yeah, I guess I was. This was my life for as long as I could remember. Wood Man said to me once that the wilderness would always be a part of me, no matter where I live or where I go." She looked around, taking in every beautiful inch of this place she once lived in. "And he was right. When I stands here, I feel it. It's like...it's like standing somewhere that's welcoming you. Accepting you and letting you know it's okay to be there." Slowly, she looked to her friends, whose faces were hard to read, and she looked back down to the ground. "I suppose I'm not making sense, am I?"

After a moment, Frida resumed her smile, stepping forward and placing her hand upon Hilda's shoulder to get her attention. "No...it makes perfect sense." She watched as Hilda smiled back, as did David, and without even a word the three all came together for one big hug. When it was over though, Frida turned her attention once more to the newly-arrived wood. "Well then, better get this lit. Hope it's good for it."

Hilda gave her a knowing smirk. "Oh, trust me. Wood Man's wood never failed."


End file.
